INFJ-Case study, Prophet Jeremiah

Case study- Prophet Jeremiah, The Wailing Prophet.

This Myers-Briggs personality is known as the “Advocate”. Advocates as the name goes, fight for the right of others as well as themselves. They are loyal, kind empaths who have rich inner worlds of deep thoughtfulness and imagination. They are humanitarian and their goodwill for all makes people drawn to them. This makes people value their opinion and take their words seriously. Famous INFJs you might know include Taylor Swift, Carl Jung, Plato, Robert Mugabe, Adolf Hitler, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mahatma Gandhi.

There is evidence that Jesus was an INFJ but out of respect for Him being God, we shall study Jeremy, another INFJ instead. He was a chosen prophet even before he was in his mother’s womb. You can already see the similarities between his birth and that of Jesus since Jesus was sent here even before he was planted in His mother’s womb. They were both humanitarians but focused on the work of God. They both came to save souls and point them all toward God. This article is about the INFJ personality and how their traits fit the narrative of saving the souls of man for the worship of God.

INFJ BREAKDOWN.

I-Introverted.
N-Intuitive.
F-Feeling.
J-Judging.

1.] INTROVERTED.

INFJs like people and they like helping people but to them, people are objects of saving. Saving people requires energy and they prefer recharging by themselves when things get too draining.
They like peace most time and it is because of their naturally reserved nature that it is difficult to get close to them.

2.] INTUITIVE.

They ask the big questions of life. INFJs see this world beyond the physical. They understand the spiritual realm and its connectivity to the spiritual realm. Because they are idealistic by nature, this trait is thought to come as a result of their spiritual connections from where they solidify their values and expectations of who they should be and what the world should operate like. They are natural empaths and see other people’s insides more than people think they do and it’s why they find it hard to get close to people. Because it doesn’t take too long for people to show their true selves to the INFJ, even if they are still in acting mode. The INFJ will have figured them out even before they even realize it.

3.] FEELING.

INFJs are deeply thoughtful and deeply feeling people. They have natural goodwill toward others and like to take care of and help others to the best of their abilities. They however don’t take too kindly to an emotional battery and will take it very personally if you try to play around with their emotions. The good thing about them is that they are protective of other people’s emotional states just as strongly. They aren’t called “Advocates” for nothing.

4.] JUDGING.

INFJs have a very strong moral compass. They are intelligent and because of their intuition, wise. This makes them possess a strong grasp of what is right and what is wrong. They have a strong moral compass, one that gives them the confidence to fight for the rights of others as well as stand up for themselves.
It is because of this strong belief in themselves that they force other people to believe what they are fighting for. Eventually, they get what they want from making the right people believe in the cause.

POSITIVE INFJ TRAITS.

1.] Future-Oriented.

INFJS have a natural penchant for seeing interconnections between the present, past, and the spiritual. They are like living, breathing, sages of sorts. Capable of predicting what kind of habits will lead to what kind of man or what kind of talent will result in greatness. They are focused on the security of their lives and their souls (for the spiritual) and tailor every action or connection to the desired end that they hope to attain.

Jeremiah was a prophet of doom. He saw the idol worshipers, idolaters, and temple sodomites and ask them for their repentance. He understood that failure to repent would result in the deaths of these individuals since their actions would anger God. He had seen the visions in his head and had received direct communication from God. But even without these, he still had a strong inclination to predict what would happen should the habits continue.

2.] Idealists.

Due to their Intuitive nature, INFJs have a strong idea of what is right or wrong. They have very high standards and expectations of themselves and expect the same from everyone else. Their strong moral compass always has a way of going against current social trends that has mass hypnotized people into thinking that living in a wayward manner should be the new norm. They do not accept this and vehemently preach against it.

Jeremiah was a staunch follower of God. He knew what God stood for and what He did not and tailored his moral compass to the laws of God. As expected, he lived by them and was constantly preaching to all he could meet to live accordingly to them as well. It’s no wonder that the kings of his time didn’t like him, since they were supremely hedonistic and he was not.

3.] Organized.

INFJs are great planners even if they do not keep things noted down. They like to get their hands dirty and get things done. Ideally with the cooperation of people but even without their help INFJs will still go about their business and get things done regardless.

Jeremy was a man of action. A case in point is in Deuteronomy 11, where he walked to all the villages of Judah and into Jerusalem on his own two feet, asking people to adhere to the Deuteronomic reforms of King Josiah to destroy idol worship in Israel. It would take a strong determined heart and an organized mind to pull that off.

4.] Kind.

It has never been heard that an INFJ was born evil. They may become evil at some point in their lives but they weren’t born that way. They are humanitarians at heart, caring strongly for the well-being of others and themselves. They may probably be the only visionaries in the Myer’s Briggs who envision an idealized future of selfless and peaceful people singing kumbayah, and eating fruit from the earth like it’s just another Tuesday.

Jeremiah was kind to all he met and even though he was sent to send harsh messages to Israel, he always made sure that he showed love toward the Israelites because he genuinely cared about them. It is why his message was constantly about repentance. He aimed to save the souls of Israel from eternal damnation.

5.] Feelers with Feet on the Ground.

INFJs are objective feelers. They use their minds and their hearts to make decisions. This is what makes them very good judges of almost everything. The INTs are usually too crass and insensitive, and the INFPs are too emotional and volatile, but the INFJs are more balanced in their thinking. They not only think about the results that will be obtained from the action but also how certain actions will affect the spirit and emotions of those around them.

Jeremiah had a harsh life living as a prophet of God since all he kept delivering in the temples and the King were messages of destruction and seizings. He made sure that he relayed information directly to the people in the temple in most cases before going to the King first. Because he knew that the King would not let it be known what he had told them. As an example, Jeremiah warned the Judeans that they would be destroyed by those that had been their friends (Babylonians) because King Jehoiakim had withheld the tribute of Israel to Babylon and was actively resisting him. He cared for the Israelite’s safety and well-being and wanted them to survive the attack that was soon coming, and if they did not, he was hoping that the Israelites would listen to his plea and repent to God so that their souls would find rest in heaven.

NEGATIVE INFJ TRAITS.

1.] Avoids the mundane.

INFJs are naturally curious and intelligent individuals. Because the world is more of an adventure for them, rarely do they stay in one place for too long. They are adventurers by themselves and can do so with their partners. However, should their partners decide to become sedentary, tension is expected in that relationship. The fact that daily mundane things that make life, life bores them means that they will be experiencing highs and lows depending on the experiences they are going through. And the lows won’t make sense to many since their lives will still seem perfect from the outside looking in. Deep down though, they crave change.

This is a negative trait for people whose job involves a lot of day-to-day operations. It might drive them crazy. Unless their work involves a lot of traveling, meeting different people, or doing different tasks that challenge their minds, they will feel as though they live in a prison within their body that they cannot escape. Jeremiah was a lucky man that this trait never had the chance to bother him. He was an unmarried, man whose job involved a lot of going around all Jerusalem, meeting different people, and doing bold things. There were times he experienced lows, but it was because the duties were hard to do since the repercussions were severe, not because the job was boring. You could say being an INFJ is perfect for a prophet in this regard.

2.] Overly Sensitive.

They do have extroverted Feelings as a major part of their psyche in how they experience the world. This is great when it comes to handling people as empathy stems from here, but it’s also a double-edged sword since this function makes them very sensitive to emotions. Too sensitive in fact that when overstimulated they go out of control and do and say things that they did mean at that moment. This is mostly observed when they are criticized, receive negative feedback, or are overwhelmed by a task they are given.

Jeremiah may have been God’s chosen man for the job and he was given all the talent and skills to get the job done. But he was also an imperfect human. He said things to God that he should not have said when in an out-of-control state. He said that Lord had deceived him and that he was a fool as he accepted to be deceived [Jeremiah 20:7], this was when he was given an overwhelming task to do and since he was just one person doing it, the burden became too much that he became frustrated and released it. However, he changed his tune once he relaxed after some time.

3.] Perfectionist.

They do a tremendously efficient job when in their element. Mostly because they are perfectionists. However, they also fail to kick off their projects even if they have all that is required to start the project because of the same reason. Analysis paralysis is a bad INFJ habit that has set many INFJs behind because they believe that no one will appreciate good work if it’s just “good enough”, they fail to realize that for most people except for perfectionists like themselves, good enough is enough and is considered as good as done for most people.

When Jeremiah was answering the call he responded by saying

[Jeremiah 1:6], “You may have known me since I was born Lord, but I don’t even know how to speak! You knew me before I was a baby. Well, I still feel like one.”

Because he saw and felt imperfect, he did not see why God should choose him for the missions. Even after God reassured him that he was selected since birth so it should have been obvious that he had all that was required for the task, but he still felt inadequate for the job. Had he stayed with this mindset, he would not have done mighty things that shaped the history of Israel in Jesus’ name.

4.] Burn out.

INFJs just like INTJs have a purpose in their work, so long as they find the right one. They over-exert themselves in duty as laboriously as a donkey and they do not quit or relent until they have completed the task. The problem with the INFJs that take it too far with this is that they stretch themselves too thin that their mental or physical strength wears out. When this happens, they can snap at others or themselves and achieve mental and physical fatigue.

This was something common with Jeremiah as he always went through this. Very many times he has claimed that he was a “stand-alone” man and that he would prefer to stay alone in the desert. This was because the journeys he had to make and the emotional turmoil that his calling as a prophet had over him was too much to bear. He was known as a “wailing prophet”, and images of him show a man that has a beat-down face, almost as though he had cried and wailed and had no more tears left. This image alone and the history and nature of his work are testament enough to how INFJs can push themselves to the brim in the name of duty.

5.] Stubborn.

INFJs are stubborn by nature. But that is something that makes them the best people for the job that they do. They are resilient and stick to a project even if they are beaten down and battered through it, they just won’t let go unless there is a legitimate logical reason that makes them quit. However, if they are on the wrong side of things, it will take them some time to convince them otherwise. They will not go back on what they said or believed unless they see proof of your words with their own eyes.

Luckily for Jeremiah, this was a trait that was positive in that he was stubborn on matters to do with God, and he persevered through persecution, loneliness, and the harsh nature of his calling. He showed all of us that you can use your weakness as a strength for God.

BOTTOM LINE.

Remember the Gospel.

God loves us, but He is not crazy about us.
We are wallowing in our own sin for which we have no savior.
We should always repent and believe in the sacrifice of our God, Jesus Christ who was sent by God the
father to die for our sins, so we might get to have eternal life. [JOHN 3:16]